Headrest protector



Feb. 14, 1950 A. STRUBLE Q ET AL HEADREST PROTECTOR Filed April 8, 1948 Inventors fllberhtrwle M/YMZIOW,

Patented Feb. 14, 1950 2,497,698 HEADRE'ST PROTECTOR Albert Struble, Llanerch, Upper Darby, and Merritt L. Moffitt, J r., Havertown, Pa.

Application April 8, 1948, Serial No. 19,794

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 155-176) Our invention relates to new and useful head rest covers and has for one of its objects to provide a reinforcing hanger for one end of a sheet or strip of pliable material whereby the latter may be temporarily attached to the back of a seat to prevent the upholstery from being soiled by oil on a persons head or dirt on a persons clothing, and also prevent the transfer of any marring substance from the back of the seat to any contacting part of clothing of the person oc cupying the seat.

While the invention is not to be limited to the particular use made of it, it is especially adapted to be employed in connection with the seats of transportation vehicles which are occupied at various times by many different persons of different degrees of cleanliness. Wherefore another object of this invention is to provide a cover to protect both, the upholstery and clothing or parts of a persons body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and effective device of this character that may be readily and quickly attached to and removed from a seat a back for renewing the cover when desired, as when one person leaves the seat which is to be occupied by another.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive cover of the type mentioned consisting of a sheet or strip of paper connected with a reinforcing hanger member of relatively cheap material whereby the entire structure can be discarded or disposed of without the necessity of laundering which is an expensive operation and requires much handling for transportation to and from the locations of distribution.

A further object of the invention is to so construct th cover, particularly the reinforcing hanger, that it may be temporarily and removably installed on several types of supporting devices or fasteners.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing hanger of a flexible or resilient material capable of flexion so that the cover can be attached to certain types of supporting devices.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a device of th kind mentioned comprising the combination of a cover having a reinforcing hanger and supporting means of different types so that the cover is interchangeable to any one of the several types of supporting means.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction 2 .J and combination of elements hereinafter se forth and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same we will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in WhlCh-- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional vehicle seat, looking at the rear thereof, and showing head rest covers installed thereon as well as on in dotted lines about to be mounted in place. v

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of the same structure looking at the front thereof.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the head rest cover by itself.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a seat looking at the rear thereof and showing a difierent way of mounting the head rest cover. Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating another mounting arrangement.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are perspective views of several types of supporting devices.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a supporting device similar to Fig. 8 but formed of a. solid mass.

Fig. 10 is a face view of a reinforcing hanger, per se.

In carrying out our invention as herein embodied l5 represents a head rest cover comprising a sheet or strip it of suitable pliable material, preferably paper or some relatively inexpensive paper-like substance, of oblong shape, to one end of which, crosswise thereof, is attached a reinforcing hanger I 1.- This reinforcing hanger is composed of cardboard, pasteboard, a thin strip of wood or even an inexpensive metal having some inherent resiliency or elasticity and flexible so that it may be bowed and then return to its normal straight condition.

The cover strip or sheet l6 and the reinforcing hanger I! may be fastened together in many approved ways but a desirable method is to paste them together by th use of a suitable adhesive. particularly when the cover sheet is of paper or paper-like material and the reinforcing hanger is of cardboard or similar material or wood. The ends of said reinforcing hanger may extend beyond the sides of the cover strip or they may, in some instances, terminate short of or flush with the side edges of said cover strip.

Each end of the reinforcing hanger I! has an open end aperture or notch 18 formed therein, preferably extending lengthwise but such notch may extend in some other direction, as laterally or obliquely from either longitudinal side edge. Also intermediate the ends of the reinforcing hanger and preferably adjacent each end is formed a closed aperture, hole or slot i9. For

transportation vehicles, for purposes of illustra,

tion only, is fixed one or more, preferably a pair,

of supporting devices in the form of a'button or; headed pin 24, Figs. 1 and 6, a..socket..Z4a,,Eigs. 4 and '7, or a plug 241) having a beveled. head. or,

a modification 240 of the latter, Figs. 5, 8 and 92 The plug supporting device 24% is shown as:

stamped or formed from a strip or shcetrof. metal and will have a certain amount of resiliency whereasa. similar plug supporting, device 24c.being of solidformation. will'be rigidand the re.- inforcing hanger must be solely depended upon for.anydesirediresiliency.

Inactual practice, the cover'sheet I6 is pasted oncnly one face offthe reinforcing; hanger H which. strengthens said. cover sheet and when the head rest'zcover is to be mountedon the seat back, said cover is positioned with thereinforci'ng hanger. exposed. while thecover. sheet is" in adepending position at the rear of the seat back. The. reinforcing hanger, I1 is then attached to the supporting means on the rear surface of the seat back and finally the cover sheet lfiis folded upwardover the formerly exposed face of the reinforcing hanger to conceal the major pertion ofthe latter and draped over the top and front surfaceof the seat back. If the seatback is provided with, an elastic'or'other type OfTh'Ol-ding, cordl25f, the free; end. of the cover-sheet" L6 may. be placed. thereunder to" assist in: holding said" cover sheet in place, especially to prevent it. being blown about by drafts: through open windows-or doors.

Where the supportingdevicesrare-in: the'formofbuttons, 1,, the: reinforcing hanger I1 is flexed or bowed; outwardly" as shown, in dotted lines and" the ends" thereof inserted" under the button. heads. Upon release of the hanger" it will returnto itsnormal straight condition and head rest cover will be attached to the seat back.

If the supporting devices are of the plug type, Fig. 5, the closed apertures in the reinforcing hanger are brought into alignment with the supporting devices and the hanger forced over said supporting devices so as to penetrate the cover sheet disposed over th apertures and displace the wings 2i which afterwards spring back and engagethe shoulders under theheads of the supporting devices to retain, the" head rest cover against accidental displacement.

In every case, after the head rest cover has been used, it may be easily removed and discardcause the slotted or--bifurcated ends to straddle the; button. shanks so that the head rest cover willfi be: temporarily maintained in position.

Should the supportingdevices be of socketed formation, Fig 4', the: reinforcing;- hanger ii is ffexed or bowed outwardly as above stated and the ends thereof guided into saidsupporting" devices. Upon release of said reinforcing hanger ltjwill' return to its straight condition and projectthve ends thereoi into the; sockets and the edor disposed of in any well known manner thereby, eliminating the necessity of expense of laundering;

Of. course we do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and describedas these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having; described our: invention; what we claim as new and-.usefirlis:

1. As a new article of manufacture; ahead rest cover adapte'dltobey applied to a chair and comprisinga cover" sheet of pliable fabric material, and a thin resilient reinforcing hanger capable of deflection in oneplane and pasted to and along one' edge of said coversheet, said reinforcing hanger having formations for en'- gaging-supporting-- devices onthe back of the chair.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing-hanger has apertures therein to receive cooperating supporting' means' on the back of thechair:

3; Asan article of manufacture, ahead rest cover" adapted to be appliedto a chair and comprising cover" sheet of' pliable paper; a thin fiat reinforcing hanger; and means rigidly securing. said, sheet to one face; of said hanger, said reinforcinghangerhaving formations for engaging: supporting; devices" on the back of, the-chair.

' ALBERT STRUBLE:

MERRITI L. MOFFITT, JR.

REFERENCES GI'IZED.

The. following,references. are ofl'record in the file. of, this, patent:v

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